beachbum6264

The port at Costa Maya itself is a waste... but get out and go to Mahahual, and that's another story. That's worth the trip. So much better than Progreso, the vendors there drive me crazy. They even bothered me when I was having a massage on the beach. Damn.

Go Southern! Curacao is amazing (my favorite port), and Aruba has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. You can't go wrong.

And she mentions PORN a lot also? Food and drink porn?

That's a common phrase that's used a lot, nothing strange about that, lots of reviews contain a lot of food porn. (pics of food)

I'm another one who thinks Ethel does not know what LOL means. If you look at her post history she uses it in places where LOL does not make sense at all. :confused:

Wearing shoes in the shower is one thing I have never even thought about. With all that hot water and soap on top of being cleaned daily I figure it's one of the cleanest places on the ship. But then, I'm one of those people who go barefoot just about anywhere, and have never had any foot problems.

And if you're like me and totally forget to pack it you can get one from your room steward. Or any bar will open the bottle for you. You won't be stuck with a bottle you can't open.

We actually bring one for each day. At night we change them out. This way if something happens to the camera we don't lose all of our pictures. The equipment is insured and can be replaced but the pictures would be gone forever. I have a credit card sized holder for them that I got on Amazon.

 

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Same here. A friend who is a professional photographer suggested this to me. She never uses anything bigger than an 8GB card. I don't want to take the chance of a card corrupting and losing the whole vacation.

Also, I'm going with my mother on this cruise and she isnt platinum yet. Will she still get the priority check-in with me?

If she's in the same cabin as you, yes, she should - her booking number will be the same as yours and her SS card will be with yours. My DH is not platinum yet and he always boards with me.

I've cruised 7 times during the last week in August. Never had a cruise cancelled, but have had itineraries changed - a Western turned into an Eastern, an Eastern changed into a Western, and a 7 day turned into a 9 day (Yay us!) because the Port of Tampa was closed due to Hurricane Frances. (we got a 2nd day in Cozumel and an extra day at sea). Take a deep breath and calm down. Heck, I live in Florida and I don't blink twice about booking during hurricane season.

I've taken both on all 18 cruises and never had a problem. I guess they know what they're up against if they take those away! LOL!

I love to dress up. My husband and I are actually looking for a cruiseline where some people are willing to dress up. I plan on wearing an evening gown and my husband will be wearing a tuxedo even if the folks seated next to us are in jeans. I think the trend to dress casually as been carried too far. Does anyone know of a cruiseline where formal still means tuxedos and evening gowns?

Cunard is one. You won't feel out of place on Holland America either, although you won't see quite as many as you will on Cunard.

From what I remember, there were a few games with a 4th theme, some red, white & blue desserts in the Lido and that's about it. Not everyone onboard was American, so not a big deal made.

I say rent a car. Keep in mind the time it takes to get from MK to the parking lot tho. Monorail is quickest. There is a lot of road construction in/around WDW right now, so be prepared for that, as well as on I-4. Leave time for traffic in Orlando on 4, it's a mess.

Do you know if the inside cabins have a refrigerator now?

A recent review with photos.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2490893&highlight=carnival+victory%2C+review

Thanks for the link!

Are you doing Key West and Coz? These are two fun stop[s with tons to do. We did her on a 4 day a few years ago and had a great time. Go prepared to PARTY however...it was over a weekend and was the rowdiest cruise we have been on.

Yes, we've been to both several times - there's a ferry to KW close to us and we go for a day or two a couple times a year. Been to Coz a about dozen times, still love it. Did the NCL Sky (open bar ship) over NYE with 18 friends - now that was a party! We may be retired, but that just gives us more time to drink, LOL!

We usually do late dining. The only time we didn't was a 21 day cruise - we didn't want to take the chance of sitting with someone we didn't like for 21 days. (I know you can ask to move, but that might have been too obvious). I agree with what everyone before me has said, fewer children, no rushing through dinner, no rushing to get ready after a port day, longer to enjoy the day on a sea day, the same servers without having to ask, know where our table is, and never have to wait. One less thing to think about, one less decision to make - make life easy. :cool:

So I booked a birthday cruise for him in October. Just a short one (4 days), and a cheap one (inside cabin), but hey, it's a cruise! I cut our wait time in half. That should shut him up. :halo:

Tell me something nice about the Victory.

I've been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian. I think Carnival and Royal are pretty close - I think the food is better on Carnival but the entertainment was better on Royal. Holland is dressier and has an older customer base, food was great and so was entertainment - we were on a 21 day and only repeated menu twice and no repeat of shows. Norwegian was a quick 3 day over NYE with a bunch of friends and we were not impressed - might have been because it was their smallest/oldest ship, but food was just not good. We had a blast, due to open bar on ship and the other 16 people we were with, but doubt we'll return to NCL.

If you live within a couple of hours drive to a port and have nothing to do over a long weekend and can get a great deal - that's when a 3 day cruise is worth it. Other than that, no. You unpack, turn around, and it's time to pack again. And like most have said, the Bahamas are not worth a flight or a long drive by themselves (and this comes from someone who is half Bahamian and lived in Nassau as a kid).

5 day minimum - 7 is better - Nassau only as a stop on the way to anywhere else (except Freeport or Jamaica!)

Tape them at home, punch a hole, bring zip ties with you, attach them right before you hand them over to the porters at the port. Problem solved, you both win!

Your friend sounds like someone I would not like to travel with. What a know-it-all party pooper. I wouldn't believe anything she told me after those two bits of 'advise'. :rolleyes:

Some of us, maybe even many of us, feel the same way about going to california for any reason, not just for a cruise.

LOL, where's the "Like" button?

For those who love shelling... here's Sanibel... this was after a little storm the night before..

I bought a cooler. It's not for wine but for meds that need refrigeration.

 

 

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If you have meds that need refrigeration you may be able to get a cooler onboard - from the Carnival website:

For guests who are traveling with injectable medication and need a Sharps disposal container, please contact the Medical Center or the onboard Housekeeping staff. Some ships have staterooms equipped with mini-bars designed to maintain the temperature of beverages. Mini-bars are not to be used to store medications that have specific temperature requirements. Portable medi-coolers are available on a first come first serve basis. If a cooler is not available, our Medical Center can assist guests with refrigeration needs, or you may bring your own personal-size cooler for this purpose.

If you need general information about accessibility before you cruise, please call our Guest Access team at 1-800-438-6744 ext.70025 or email specialneeds@carnival.com. If you have an ADA complaint, please email us at access@carnival.com. Carnival's designated ADA Responsibility Officer is Vicky Rey, Vice President Guest Care and Port Services.